Price to Rent Ratio Calculator
Use our Price-to-Rent Ratio Calculator to determine whether buying or renting a property is more cost-effective.
Annual Rent
$30000
Price-to-Rent Ratio
16.67
Recommendation
Better to rent
Price-to-Rent Ratio Guide
• Below 15: Generally better to buy
• 15-20: Typically better to rent
• Above 20: Much better to rent
What is the Price-to-Rent Ratio?
The Price-to-Rent Ratio helps you evaluate whether it's better to buy or rent a property by comparing the cost of purchasing to the annual cost of renting.
It is a widely used real estate metric that answers the question:
"How many years of rent would equal the cost of buying this property?"
Price-to-Rent Ratio Formula
How to Calculate Annual Rent
Ratio Range | Interpretation |
---|---|
15 or below | Better to buy (affordable market) |
16–20 | Borderline – depends on other factors |
21 or above | Better to rent (expensive market) |
Example: Calculate Price-to-Rent Ratio
Suppose:
- Property Price = $300,000
- Monthly Rent = $1,500
Step 1: Calculate Annual Rent
Step 2: Calculate Price-to-Rent Ratio
Final Answer:
The Price-to-Rent Ratio is 16.67, which falls into the "Depends" zone. You should consider other factors like property taxes, maintenance, and market trends before deciding to buy or rent.
Conclusion
The Price-to-Rent Ratio is a helpful starting point for evaluating housing affordability. While it doesn’t account for all costs or investment growth, it gives a quick look at whether buying or renting makes more sense.

Related Calculators
Help Improve This Tool
Your suggestions help us make better tools for everyone.